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2014-04-12 - Touching Nightmares
The Major Bar. Nowhere else will you find a more wretched hive for scum and villainy. Or, at least, in New York. The quaint surroundings are just a little ominous. If the bullet holes don't scare you, then the clientele will. However, unusual for this sort of place, there is a female figure in the bar, seated on one of the repaired chairs. And...not a bad looking one, at that. Brunette, with a white streak of hair. Green eyes. And...no one seems to be bothering her, at least, not yet. A bottle of beer sits before her, as she leans back, listening to the jukebox play. Jason heads on in, still avoiding Gotham City, but slowly on his way back. Right now though, he just wants a drink. Once he steps inside, he heads to the bar to flag down the bartender, "Whiskey," he states. He has his hoodie up, though his hair is currently undyed. He didn't bother with it this morning, kinda out of the temp dye he usually uses. Though he ends up double taking at Rogue cause her white streak just caught his attention. And...it's Jason, he ends up cracking up laughing. And then face palming. "Oh man...I just scared myself, and just thought I saw a female version of myself. Damn, I'm hotter as a girl." Yes, he totally went there. The figure at the table may not necessarily be a master detective, but it doesn't take much to figure out that the face palming individual was talking about her. Rogue's calm expression...almost happy...turns into that of confusion. Of course, since this is Rogue, she isn't content with just sitting back. She just jumps right in. "Hon, Ah don't rightly know just what yer thinkin', but Ah can tell ya dis. Ah don't think we look alike at all, apart from da hair." She pauses...then tips a wink. "which, by da by, looks bettah on me, sugah." Jason pays with cash and takes the whiskey and moves over to Rogue. He doesn't ask to sit down, he just plops down, but he does at least raise a hand to tug his hoodie down off his head. He then grins, "Not going to argue with that 'sugah'," he is such a Yankee, city Yankee too. He doesn't get the Southern accent right at all. But he appears amused. "I don't meet many others with the white streak though, kinda thankful I didn't dye my hair this morning." Yep, he just makes himself welcomed, remind you of anyone? The mangled attempt at a southern accent at least brings a smile to Rogue's lips. She doesn't seem to mind at all that a stranger just sat down at her table, least of all in a place like Major's. The bottle of beer is lifted, as Rogue sips, then replaced to the table. "Well, dahlin', had da white streak since Ah was a babe. Nevah thought ta hide it. Nevah had a reason ta." The emerald eyes peer over Rogue's new tablemate and a sly little smile touches the corners of her lips. "So, ya always dis friendly, or only da female copies of yerself?" A drink of his whiskey and Jason raises an eyebrow at 'friendly', "I'm grumpy, mean, and got anger issues. Friendly is not included in the list," he says with a bit of sarcasm and humor. "So I guess it's just you." A lopsided smirk at that. "I can't claim the same," about having it from birth, but he doesn't explain how he got it. "So, what brings a Southern Belle all the way to the Big Apple? You sound like a long way from home." and he sounds like a Gothamite if Rogue would recognize the slight New Jersey accent from him. Rogue laughs. It is a short laugh, but an honest one. "Just me, heh? Ain't Ah da lucky one." She regards Jason curiously. It isn't every day that a person gets the guts to talk to her, and even less when he asks why she's in New York. The thought of it widens the smile upon her lips just a little more. "Well..refreshin' ta be asked dat. Dere's lots of reasons...but da easiest one ta give is dat Ah'm part of a school up 'ere. Dunno if ya heard of it." She pauses before naming the school, those eyes watching for the initial reaction. "Xavier's Institute..." That's right, dearie. Talking to a school teacher. A tilt of Jason's head at that, and he becomes thoughtful, brow wrinkling. "Xavier's...Institute....," he is really thinking about it. Thinking about it. A pause, and then..., "Nope." But then he moves to pull out his phone and does a quick internet search on it. Ah, the wonders of technology! It's pretty clear at that point he is from the 'Other Earth'. But he continues to do the search, taking another drink of his whiskey as he does so. Jason is then scrolling through some things, "Huh? Mutant school, guess that means you are a Mutant," and he has this 'I could care less about the mutant thing attitude', another clue that he is from the other Earth. "And...umm...what's the X-Men? Is that like Justice League, let's all be boy scouts and girl scouts together? Because seriously, I so expect better of you Miss Southern Belle." And a bit of a lopsided smirk at that. "Rogue. Name's Rogue. And ya best be mindin' yer mannahs when talkin' about da X-Men." The look given drops a couple of degrees...a icy glance that means one better not be talking smack about her team. "It isn't all sunshine an' rainbows. Da X-Men is about findin' a way fer human an' mutant ta live togethah...as equals. And...sometimes dat means kickin' da crap out of othahs dat threaten dat possibility. Ain't just about doin' good. It's about second chances." That is something that Rogue knows full well. After all, she was a mutant terrorist at one point. She doesn't take kindly to trash talk about the X-Men. "Alright, Alright, I can respect a legit ass kicking," Jason states. He didn't realize trash talk included boy scouts and girl scounts, he have to tell the little girls and boys that one! But seriously, "So you are more like activists, and less like authority figures of 'my rules or the highway'. And I got no issue with the equal thing. There is enough f$^*ed up shit in this world, to be worry about some quirky little gene suddenly makes you magically not human. Ah....magic, the joys of magic," the sarcasm heavy on the last part. "So, what do you teach Rogue?" He then holds out a hand to shake, "And you can call me Jay." The extended hand is accepted by Rogue's own hand. It is, of course, a gloved hand, which may be peculiar. Then again, the rest of Rogue is equally covered, with everything but her head with some sort of protective covering. The answer she gives to the question is short...and perhaps a little shocking. "Auto shop." There is a wink from those emerald eyes, then Rogue continues. "Well...dat and Ah help out with powah tutorin'. Which is really kinda funny, if ya only knew what Ah could do." She releases the hand, reaching over to take a pull from her bottle. "Pleasure ta meet ya, Jay..." "Auto shop? That's...actually really cool and sexy." And 'Jay' grins wickedly at that. "Though you are right, don't really get the inside joke about the power tutoring," he states with some humor. "And it's a pleasure to meet you as well Rogue." His grip is firm, but not too strong. It lingers a bit in Rogue's gloved hand, but no more than that before releasing her hand. There is a soft chuckle from the brunette. "Well...let's just say ya should be happy Ah'm wearin' gloves, dahlin'." Rogue doesn't offer much in the way of explanation beyond that, but she does lean back, finding herself rather comfortable with the Gothamite. "So, mah turn ta ask. Whatcha doin' in a place like dis? Ain't exactly da friendliest of places 'ere." A nod to a bullet hole...a relatively fresh one, from the looks of it. "It ain't like dis is a tourist trap..." "Feels kinda like home," 'Jay' states. "I'm from Gotham, born, raised...almost said died," and he grins. He died elsewhere. "And trying to avoid going back to avoid the 'family' drama," finger quotation marks about the word 'family' in the air. "Well, if you can call them that, no blood relation. But got a feeling you understand. So apparently I wandered in cause it looked like a piece of home without the drama." There is a slight pause, "So...what what if you keep the gloves on but take everything else off, you still dangerous for consumption?" Yes, that is...is Jason trying to make you laugh?! It was a good try. There isn't a laugh, but there is a wicked little smile, as those green eyes focus on Jason. "Ya really aren't from around 'ere, den." She tips a wink as she slides a glove off, exposing slender fingers. "Touchin' me can be hazardous ta yer health, sugah. But, yer welcome ta try, if ya think ya can handle it." The fingers curl, then extend out in a welcoming gesture. "Though, Ah should warn ya. Ah have been known ta knock people out wit' just a touch." "Nope, from the other Earth, grew up with Meta-Humans, Altered Humans, and Magic, but not Mutants." Jason shrugs a bit at that. "Seriously, a touch?" He does look curious. There isn't trust in his eyes, just curiosity. "What exactly is your 'power' sweetheart?" He moves his hand out, but doesn't actually touch Rogue. Rather he holds his hand just barely away from hers, where the warmth of his hand can be felt without physical contact. A slow nod from the brunette, as a white lock falls in front of Rogue's right eye. The left hand, still gloved, reaches up to brush it aside, while the right remains perfectly still. It's her version of playing with fire, seeing how close she can be before she gets burned. "A touch. Ah can learn all dere is ta know about ya wit' just a touch. Borrow yer skills...know what yer thinkin'. Do whatevah you can do, with just a touch." Rogue's eyes do not leave Jason's. "Dependin' on how long Ah hold on depends on how long Ah keep it. Too long, and yer not comin' back and Ah get a new resident in mah head." "Ah...," and some of the light dies in Jay's eyes, and he reluctantly pulls away. "I....know things that give nightmares." A bit of a bitter smile there. He doesn't WANT to know the things he knows, but he also wouldn't wish them on others. "Just their knowledge and skills, or do you get emotions and other things along with it?" He seems to know the type of questions to ask, knowledgeable. Rogue draws her hand away, casting her eyes downward as she replaces her glove on her hand. It almost seems as if she *wanted* to touch, despite the risks. Just so close. But, she does answer the question. "Everythin'. Whatevah's in yer head comes along fer da ride. It's...it's like Ah'm dat person, but still me." After the glove is replaced, she finally returns her attention to Jason. "Ah...couldn't control it. Dat's da big joke. Let's have someone dat can't control her own powah teach othahs how ta use theirs. Really funny, dat." Rogue shrugs. "before...Ah touch someone, Ah kept a piece of dem in mah head. Got to be a regulah zoo up dere. But...now...Ah got mah own mind. And...a little control ta go with it. But just a little..." Oh ya, Jason winces at that. "You would have hated me if I touched you," he states simply. A bit of regret in his own eyes. "Ya, and a risk of me getting added there? Even worse for you." He chuckles at that. "Damn, and you are really hot and interesting too. The things I could say that likely get me punched though." No, he isn't afraid of Rogue strangely enough, but apparently he's afraid of what is inside his own head. "Like Ah said, Ah got a little control now. As long as Ah keep it short, Ah...Ah don't hurt anyone. And, really, Ah only need a couple of seconds for what Ah usually end up doin'." The now-gloved hand reaches out, patting Jason's hand lightly. "And hon...trust me when Ah say dis. Dere ain't nuthin in dat pretty lil head of yers dat would scare me." Rogue finishes her beer, setting the bottle to the side as she slowly gets up to her feet. "Well, Jay, if yer evah in da mood ta go punch stuff, ya just give me a ring. We can go find sumthin'." There is a pause...then an added comment, pitched low for his ears only. "Also...if ya need help forgettin' stuff, Ah might be able ta do dat, too. Ah know dat look of yours. Ah seen it every day when Ah look in da mirror." A chuckle at that, "Many have their own nightmares for many things, but the lack of touching does make things a little...difficult for the forgetting," 'Jay' teases Rogue right back. But still, he then says more quietly, "Thanks. Watch your back." And it means it sincerely. Apparently 'Jay' did take a liking to Rogue, very much so.